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| Central Washington; Black rock is volcanic basalt |
We woke up in Sandpoint, Idaho to a grey, rainy, cold day. There was no avoiding it. We suited up in the rain gear and headed west on Route 2. The Idaho panhandle is blanketed with pine forests and green mountains. The rivers and creeks are full and the current is swift from all the rain. After a time we finally passed the state line into Washington. The rain stopped but the skies were still full of low gray clouds. We passed through Spokane with its miles of chain stores along route 2. Any chain store you can imagine was there. The traffic had also changed from pick up trucks to a general mix that looks more like what we see in Pennsylvania. Departing Spokane we continued west on Route 2 into the center of the state of Washington. It looks very much like the rolling prairie land of North Dakota or Montana, except for the ridges of black basalt that dot the land, a testament to its volcanic past.
We departed Route 2 and headed toward the Grand Coulee Dam, and stopped there for a tour. The tour was OK, but not as exclusive as our tour of the Fort Peck Dam. The sun was out now and it had warmed up considerably.
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| on top of the Grand Coulee Dam |
Just as we were leaving the Dam, a thunderstorm let loose, and we quickly pulled into a pizza place. The outside didn't look like much, but the pizza and service was great.
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| Pizza shop at the Grand Coulee |
After our early unscheduled meal, we headed northeast and ended up at a motel in Omak, WA, which is surrounded by fruit orchards thanks to all the irrigation.
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| Cherry Orchard covered with screen to keep out the birds! |
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